Game-board.



PATENTED JULY v, 1908.

J. MASS 0TH. GAME BOARD.

APPLIOATION I'ILED NOV. 24, 1905.

JOSEPH MASSOTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAME B OARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 24, 1905.

Patented July 7, 1908.

Serial No. 288,951.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn MAssorH, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game-Boards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to game boards, and more particularly to that class of games which are played by moving game-pieces over indicated routes.

The game-board used is designed to represent island groups of warring nations and the game-pieces used represent the infantry, artillery and naval forces of the opposing nations.

In carrying out my invention the islands forming the groups, mentioned above, are depicted as of various sizes and conformationand the land routes upon each island difier in arrangement from those upon any other island, the water routes being also varied as to their arrangement and by thus depicting the islands and the routes, it will be understood that it is rendered diflicultto ascertain which group, if either, has the advantage over the other by reason of such arrangement, it being understood of course that at the beginning of the game some chance device is used to determine which side each player shall take.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the game-board and Fig. 2 is a group view showing one each of the infantry, artillery and naval game-pieces.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 denotes the islands of one grou and the numeral 6 the islands of the ot 1er group. The principal island of each grou 5 and 6 has a capital indicated by numera s 7 and 8 respectively, and these capitals 7 and 8 are capitals of all the islands 1n their respective group, although each island of each group other than the two main islands have each sub-capitals 9 and 10 respectively. In addition to the capital and sub-capital the islands 5 and 6 have cities or towns 11 and 12 and harbor-towns 13 and 14 respectively, and connecting the capitals, sub-ca itals, towns and harbor-towns of the islan s are land routes 15, water-routes 16 and bridges 17. Leading from the water routes 16 to the harbor-towns 13 are harbor-lines 18 and the said water-routes are provided with stops 19 to regulate the movement of the naval game-pieces.

In playing the game, each player is provided with ten infantrymen, ten artillerymen, and ten ships indicated respectively by the letters ct, b and 0. An infantry or artillery man is placed in each of the twenty towns according to the plans of the player, while a battle-ship is placed in each of the above-mentioned ten harbor-towns. All moves can be made in any direction backward or forward, providing the town to be reached is vacant; the lines and bridges however must be followed. The ships can move one stop called a knot, or as many knots as the number of points indicated by the throw of the die. Two or more ships immediately behind each other constitute a fleet which can be moved as if it were only one ship. To occupy a town with troops from afar, the (lie must be used and the even numbers (2, l and 6) enable the player to make the move, but by throwing (1, 3 and 5) the move is lost.

The object of the game is to capture the main capital of the opponent with one troop. A player can move either directly toward it by land or with the aid of ships by sea. Each player must try to place all obstacles in the way of his opponent.

In the following cases, the die may be thrown, and before such throw, the move of the player must be announced as follows:

(1) I want to move this ship in this direction.

(2) I want to occupy this, my'town, with any one of my remote troops.

(3) I want to reach a decision between this troop of mine, or with this ship of mine with the adversarys troop or ship.

All engagements are to be decided by the alternate throwing of the die, the highest throw winning the engagement. If the throws of both parties are alike, the aggressor must retreat, if impossible he must leap over the rest to his nearest unoccupied town. The move is lost if the announced intention cannot be carried out. The aggressor had his move and it is the opponents turn to move whether the aggressor won or lost. Moving towards the adverse party, thereby filling the last vacant space, is called to attack, which may be repelled by the adversary, or he may retreat or await the offer of the aggressor. A ship can take an unoccupied reaches an occupied harbor town.

town of the opponent by simply moving into the harbor and at the same time one troop can be placed in the town. If an occupied town, protected by a ship or fleet (one ship necessarily being inside the harbor) is attacked by a ship or fleet, it can only be taken by a triple victory; if attacked by land, by a twofold victory. If by ships, the first throw is against the ship, the second throw is to obtain possession of the harbor, and the third'throw is against the troop. If by land, the first throw is against the troop, and the second throw is against the ship. If an occupied town is notprotected by ships a double victory alone is required if attacked by ships, viz: against the harbor and troop. A harbor taken by means of a ship should be held until the town is safe and if reinforcements are required, they may be gotten from any place and as often as the town is without troops. In this case no throw of the die is necessary. A fleet having two ships less than the opposing one is unable to engage in battle and must retreat until reinforced or until it blocked, provided the foregoing cannot take place, and can be taken if the inclosing fleet is stronger by two and the larger part of the attacking fleet can reach the inclosed fleet before it is able to gain victory over the smaller part. A harbor of artillery can attack all ships arriving at the point of the harbor line. If the capital of any island is captured all troops on the same island are included in the capture. The capital of the group cannot be attacked unless there be two of the attacking party on the island. If the main capital is taken the game is won. If the infantry wins in battle against artillery the latter must retreat. If unable to do so (because the road is blocked), it is looked upon as captured. Should the infantry win in battle against artillery protected by ships, the winner can choose one of his opponents infantry men. If the artillery wins in battle against ships the winner takes one ship, and one infantry man. If a fleet wins in-battle against the ships, two ships are taken. If the loser had only one ship in the engagement, that ship and two infantry men are taken. In all other cases the winning side takes the opposing one, and if all infantry men are lost, artillery men are to .be taken.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be appreciated that I have provided a game board upon which are depicted two groups of islands, the islands of one group being indicated by the numeral 5 and the islands of the other group by the numeral 6. The islands 6 are arranged to one side of the board with the exception of one which is arranged substantially at the middle of the board and is surrounded on three sides by the islands 5 of the other group. It

will also be observed that the arrangement of the land and Water routes as regards the islands of the two groups is entirely different so that some little thought is required to determine which group would be the most advantageous one-to choose. Two of the is lands 6 are of considerable size and the third one of the islands 6 is surrounded on three sides as above stated by the islands 5 of the other group. These islands 5, with the exception of one, are comparatively small, but they are greater in number than the islands 6. It will also be understood that the arrangement of the sub-capitals of the game board is involved and so much so in fact as to eliminate all possibility of either player determining before the beginning of the game which has the advantage, if any. The principal island of each group has indicated thereon a capital and each of the islands of the other group have indicated thereon subcapitals, there being also cities and harbor towns indicated. The arrangement, however, of these capitals, sub-capitals and cities is entirely different in the two islands as is also the arrangement of the bridges.

I/Vhat is claimed is A game board of the class described having depicted thereon two groups of islands, the islands of one group being located substantially to one side of the board with the 8X' ception of one which is surrounded on three sides by the islands of the other group, a capital depicted upon the principal island of each group, sub-capitals depicted one upon each of the other islands of the group, and harbor towns depicted upon certain of the islands of each group, bridges connecting the islands of each group one wi'ththe other and the islands of one group with the islands of the other group, land routes connecting the capital, cities, and harbor towns of each island, water routes depicted between the island of each group and between the islands of the two groups and completely surrounding each island of each group, said water routes being depicted with branches which lead to the harbor towns, cities, or sub-capitals of the two groups wherever such capitals, cities and harbor towns are located upon the shore of the respective island, said water routes being divided in a step by step manner and the land routes'being continuous between the objective points which they c011- nect, the land routes upon the islands of one group being arranged ina different manner from those upon the islands of the other group, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH MASSOTH.

Witnesses:

LEONARD WOLF, WALTER W. Hrss. 

